Compost
Compost is the aerobically decomposed remnants (waste) of organic matter. Given enough time, all biodegradable material will compost, and the primary objective in the modern push to compost is to capture readily degradable materials so they do not enter landfills. However, most small-scale domestic systems will not reach sufficiently high temperatures to kill pathogens and weed seeds or deter vermin, so pet droppings, scraps of meat, and dairy products are often best left to operators of high-rate, thermophilic composting systems. Hobby animal manure (horses, goats), vegetable kitchen and garden waste are nevertheless all excellent raw material for home composting. Early roots of composting as a treatment for municipal solid waste were spurred by awareness of the trash crisis as early as the 1950s, and the rise worldwide of large MSW composting plants in the 1960s into the 1970s was virtually unregulated. Public outcry in Europe against contamination of soils on farms and vineyards from MSW compost containing residues of plastic, metals and glass triggered a shakeup of the industry, and in the 1980s a phasing out of MSW composting. ---- composting all your organic waste from home, school, and your community, could reduce the amount of landfill and incinerator waste by almost 400 pounds per year, save 4/27 cubic yards of landfill space, 48/25 kwh of energy, 4,023/3,125,000 tons of co2, 5,364/28,625 gallons of oil, a 1,287,360/229 cubic meter lake from being polluted, 3/6,250 ounces of mercury a year. ---- compsting one ton of beef could save a 18,750 cubic meter lake, 6,250,000 kwh of energy, 33,525/8 tons of co2, a 4,190,625/1,832 cubic meter container of oil, 25/32 tons of mercury a year, 2,500 tons of coal, a 100,575/64 cubic meter tank of gasoline, a over 13,125/8 cubic meter lake from being polluted, enough energy to power a CFL for 96,875/292 years, $750,000.00 composting one gallon of beer could save a 45/256 cubic meter lake, 1,875/32 kwh of energy, 4,023/102,400 tons of co2, 15/64 ounces of mercury a year, 4,023/1,024 gallons of gasoline, 375/224 metric tons of toxic lead, 375/8 pounds of coal, a over 63/4,096 cubic meter lake from being polluted, enough energy to power a CFL for 149,504/465 years composting one barrel of beer could save a 45/8 cubic meter lake, 1,875 kwh of energy, 4,023/3,200 tons of co2, 167,625/916 gallons of oil, 15/2 ounces of mercury a year, 502,875/7,328 tons of greenhouse gases, 4,023/32 gallons of gasoline, 375/7 metric tons of toxic lead, 75/64 tons of coal, a over 1,575/2,048 cubic meter lake from being polluted, enough energy to power a CFL for 465/4,672 years, $225.00 composting one cubic meter container of beer could save a 375/8 cubic meter lake, 15,625 kwh of energy, 1,341/128 tons of co2, 1,396,875/916 gallons of oil, 125/32 pounds of mercury a year, 4,190,625/7,328 tons of greenhouse gases, a 4,023/1,024 cubic meter tank of gasoline, 3,125/7 metric tons of toxic lead, 25/4 tons of coal, a over 525/128 cubic meter lake from being polluted, enough energy to power a CFL for 3,875/4,672 years, $1,875.00 composting One bottle of beer could save 65 gallons of water, 325/4 kwh of energy, 29,055/3,664 gallons of oil, 13/40 ounces of mercury a year, 17,433/3,200 gallons of gasoline, 65/28 metric tons of toxic lead, 65 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 403/93,440 years, $9.75 composting one latte could save 53 gallons of water, 265/4 kwh of energy, 23,691/3,664 gallons of oil, 53/3,200 pounds of mercury a year, a 44,420,625/229 cubic meter lake from being polluted, 53/28 metric tons of toxic lead, 53 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 1,643/467,200 years, $7.95 composting one cup of coffee could save 37 gallons of water, 185/4 kwh of energy, 16,539/3,664 gallons of oil, 37/3,200 pounds of mercury a year, 37/28 metric tons of toxic lead, 37 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 1,147/467,200 years, $5.55 composting one gallon of coffee could save 37/16 gallons of water, 185/64 kwh of energy, 16,539/58,624 gallons of oil, 37/51,200 pounds of mercury a year, 37/448 metric tons of toxic lead, 37/16 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 1,147/7,475,200 years composting one cubic meter container of coffee could save 1,850/3 gallons of water, 4,625/6 kwh of energy, 137,825/1,832 gallons of oil, 37/192 pounds of mercury a year, 925/42 metric tons of toxic lead, 1850/3 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 1,147/28,032 years, $92.50 composting one ton of roasted coffee could save a 18,915 cubic meter lake, 6,305,000 kwh of energy, 1,691,001/400 tons of co2, a 8,455,005/3,664 cubic meter container of oil, 1,261/1,600 tons of mercury a year, a 5,073,003/3,200 cubic meter tank of gasoline, 2,522 tons of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 195,455/584 years, $756,600.00 composting One ton of pasta could save a 1,725 cubic meter lake, 575,000 kwh of energy, 30,843/80 tons of co2, a 771,075/3,664 cubic meter container of oil, 575/4 pounds of mercury a year, a 92,529/640 cubic meter tank of gasoline, 230 tons of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 17,825/584 years, $69,000.00 composting One ton of pork could save a 4,320 cubic meter lake, 1,440,000 kwh of energy, 24,138/25 tons of co2, a 120,690/229 cubic meter container of oil, 360 pounds of mercury a year, a 36,207/100 cubic meter tank of gasoline, 288,000/7 metric tons of toxic lead, 576 tons of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 5,580/73 years, $172,800.00 composting One ton of chicken could save a 3,510 cubic meter lake, 1,170,000 kwh of energy, 156,897/200 tons of co2, a 784,485/1,832 cubic meter container of oil, 585/2 pounds of mercury a year, a 470,691/1,600 cubic meter tank of gasoline, 234,000/7 metric tons of toxic lead, 468 tons of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 18,135/292 years, $140,400.00 composting One ton of cheese could save a 4,500 cubic meter lake, 1,500,000 kwh of energy, 4,023/4 tons of co2, a 502,875/916 cubic meter container of oil, 375 pounds of mercury a year, a 12,069/32 cubic meter tank of gasoline, 300,000/7 metric tons of toxic lead, 600 tons of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 11,625/146 years, $180,000.00 composting one ton of butter could save a 75 cubic meter lake, 25,000 kwh of energy, 1,341/80 tons of co2, a 33,525/3,664 cubic meter container of oil, 25/4 pounds of mercury a year, 838,125/916 tons of greenhouse gases, a 4,023/640 cubic meter tank of gasoline, 5,000/7 metric tons of toxic lead, 10 tons of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 775/584 years, $3,000.00 composting One egg could save 23 gallons of water, 115/4 kwh of energy, 23/3,200 pounds of mercury a year, 10,281/3,664 gallons of oil, 23/28 metric tons of toxic lead, 23 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 713/467,200 years, $3.45 composting One apple could save 18 gallons of water, 45/2 kwh of energy, 4,023/1,832 gallons of oil, 9/100 ounces of mercury a year, a 15,086,250/229 cubic meter lake from being polluted, 12,069/8,000 gallons of gasoline, 9/14 metric tons of toxic lead, 18 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 279/4,480 weeks, $2.70 composting One orange could save 13 gallons of water, 65/4 kwh of energy, 5,811/3,664 gallons of oil, 13/200 ounces of mercury a year, 13/28 metric tons of toxic lead, 13 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 403/467,200 years, $1.95 composting One slice of bread could save 11 gallons of water, 55/4 kwh of energy, 4,917/3,664 gallons of oil, 11/200 ounces of mercury a year, 11/28 metric tons of toxic lead, 11 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 341/8,960 weeks, $1.65 composting One glass of wine could save 63 gallons of water, 315/4 kwh of energy, 28,161/3,664 gallons of oil, 63/3,200 pounds of mercury a year, 9/4 metric tons of toxic lead, 63 pounds of coal, enough energy to power a CFL for 1,953/467,200 years, $9.45 Microorganisms Microorganisms play a crucial role in the composting process. Without them, organic matter simply will not decompose. With the proper mixture of water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, microorganisms are allowed to break down organic matter to produce composthttp://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html. Microorganisms are absolutely necessary for the composting process and without them, organic matter in your compost heap cannot undergo the composting processhttp://greenmi.net/compost-made-simple/. There are five types of microorganisms found in active composthttp://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html: * Bacteria- The most common of all the microorganisms found in compost. * Actinomycetes- Necessary for breaking down paper products such as newspaper, bark, etc. * Fungi- Molds and yeast help break down materials that bacteria cannot especially lignin in woody material. * Protozoa- Help consume bacteria and fungi, balancing out the composting cycle. * Rotifers- Rotifers also help break down organics in the compost and also ingest bacteria and fungi. In addition, earth worms not only ingest partly composted material, but also continually re-create aeration and drainage tunnels as they move through the compost. Different ways to compost... There are different ways to compost, starting with layers of 'brown' and 'green' biodegradable waste mixed with garden soil. 'Brown' waste refers to old straw, tough vegetable stems and hedge clippings. 'Green' waste refers to biodegradable waste that breaks down faster, such as fruit, coffee grounds, cut flowers, and grass clippings. Compostable materials * Coffee grounds * Cocoa shells * "Green" waste such as fresh grass clippings, green plant leaves and vegetable peelings * Leaf mold (wet, rotting leaves) * Manure of herbivores * Spent mushroom compost * Tree bark (preferrably shredded) * Egg shells * "Brown" waste such as small twigs, dried leaves, cardboard and newspaper (the last two in relatively smaller amounts, shredded) * Fruit * Vegetables If you are able to compost in a very organized, hygenic manner at consistently high temperatures (over 160 degrees F) then you may also compost more traditionally questionable items: * Humanure (human waste) * Dog waste * Cat waste * Animal corpses (For more information, please see Joseph Jenkins, Inc: http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html) References See also *Recycling *Grasscycling Category:Lead conservation Category:Greenhouse gas conservation Category:Carbon dioxide conservation Category:Oil conservation Category:Mercury conservation Category:Coal conservation Category:Gasoline conservation Category:Money conservation Category:Landfill space conservation Category:Energy conservation Category:Green Products Category:Going organic Category:Recycling Category:Compost Category:Organic Gardening Category:Gardening Category:Garden Category:Green Home Category:Waste management Category:Green Glossary Category:Pulp and paper industry